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100

WindowsDaily Radar

A year after its initial release, Half-Life is still one of the most played, most talked about games for the PC. Like all ubersuccessful PC titles, Half-Life has naturally spawned an add-on pack to continue the money train, but, unlike most add-ons, Half-Life: Opposing Force is good enough to stand on its own legs as a full game. A correct balance of the familiar and the new has been struck, virtually guaranteeing that Half-Life fans will be more than pleased with this addition to the world of Black Mesa. Even the training level, with all of its Full Metal Jacket glory, is amusing enough to warrant a quick play-through for Half-Life veterans.

But my biggest complaint is really a compliment. When Opposing Force was over, I wanted more. It was done so well, and felt so much like Half-Life, that I didn't want it to end. I thought I was playing Half-Life II, not an expansion pack. Then it ended, the spell was broken - and the waiting game began again.

Well, what more can I say that doesn't tell you to go out and by this damn game, its good... no, its bloody good, its kicks ass and will have you hooked to the game even more, so stop reading this and go buy it, or read the rest then buy it, its all up to you, but just buy it.

In the end, all I can say is that this expansion pack could easily have been marketed as a standalone game. It’s big, it’s fun, and it’s well worth the price. It’s basically Half-Life 1 ½. Hats off to Sierra, Valve, and Gearbox - they have created one of the best expansion packs of all time for one of the best games of all time.

In short, Half-Life: Opposing Force grabs the player's attention with the strength of an alien-possessed Marine and steadfastly refuses to let go. It's so good that, had this been released as a full-price, stand-alone sequel, I doubt many people would have complained. We can only wish that most complete games were so well-designed, and applaud Gearbox for living up to such incredibly high expectations. Now, Valve, about Half-Life 2.

Same basic game, same great mechanics. If possible, I thing HL:OF handles even better than the original. I noticed that the weapon fire was more responsive. It did seem to run a bit smoother as well. A few more things like a hand to hand attacks add yet another key to the controls, but it's easy enough to map in. All in all, Opposing Force is a must have for any Half-Life fan.

Opposing Force feels and plays very much like Half-Life, which isn't a bad thing. Half-Life is still the best of the first-person shooters out there, and an expansion which does exactly that - expands the world and the gameplay - is a very good thing to see. For fans of Half-Life, of which there are many, this expansion will allow you to relive the horror of Black Mesa through new eyes. Check this one out - I believe you'll be very happy with it. Bottom Line: More Half-Life! Gearbox Software has developed what feels like a seamless addition to last 1998's best game. It's a little more puzzle-oriented than the original game, and a lot of fun to play. A couple of small bugs and annoyances exist, but nothing that ruins the enjoyment of the return to Black Mesa.

Now you can fight on a Xen level replete with myriad bouncing platforms, and all the ghostly alien ambience that chilled you at the end of Half-Life. Some of the new levels are truly joyful. Complete strategy or total blast-fest, itis up to you. In our opinion this is promising to be the most finely crafted deathmatch tool to date. An awesome achievement.

While it doesn't add anything new to the graphics or technology of Half-Life, Opposing Force still manages to thrill through the impassioned application of creative design. It's the interactive equivalent of a page-turner; you'll finish it in a marathon sitting just trying to see what surprise lies around the next corner. Quite simply, the best first-person shooter ever released is now bolstered by the finest mission pack yet created.

Opposing Force subscribes to the if-it-ain’t-broke-don’t-fix-it theory of game design. It’s an unashamed attempt at creating more Half-Life goodness, and succeeds on almost every count, which speaks volumes for the job Gearbox has done. It may not present much in the way of innovation, and ends way too soon, but for anyone who played through to the end of Half-Life and was left dying for more, Opposing Force is a must-have.

Even with this high price tag suggested by Sierra, it still isn't written in stone. A person is bound to find some good deals somewhere for copies of Half Life Opposing Force. Even if Half Life fans are forced to plunk down 40 dollars, I really think Half Life Opposing Force is a title that they won't regret splurging for.

Over the years, we’ve beared witness to a number of FPS expansion packs, many of which don’t even come close to matching the atmosphere and gameplay of their predecessors. Half-Life: Opposing Force does exactly that. It’ll reel you in the moment you start playing it and will surely keep Half-Life fans busy for weeks to come.

It's not a bad expansion. It still contains that Half-Life mystique, but doesn't add anything of real value to the core gameplay and limits itself to gussying up old gimmicks in new clothes. Half-Life fans looking for more quality single-player action should check out Opposing Force, as it does entertain, but don't expect anything too special.

It’s little touches like these that help Opposing Force rise above the stigma of simply being “more of the same,” because in all honesty, that’s what it is. It’s a solid enough adventure throughout, and Gearbox did a decent enough job imitating (yes, imitating) the first Half-Life that I find it easy to recommend Opposing Force as a chance to re-explore the world that we all became so enveloped in. Not as an extension of the saga, because this new plot is messy and overcomplicated. And not as a true step forward for the franchise, because if anything, this is a small step back.

Opposing Force has some really great new features. I especially liked the ropes and the addition of skilled marines that could do things that you can not do. All and all, it's not a bad add on, just not the great one I was hoping for. I rate this game as a bit above average with 3 1/2 GiN Gems. If you really like Half-Life, get it. Otherwise, wait for Team Fortress 2.

This fluke in the design is representative of the issues that keep OP4 from being a solid sequel. As a good writer knows, the key to entertaining a reader is to write so well that the reader's disbelief is suspended all the way through. The same holds true here. Enemies that seem unaware of their surroundings, marine buddies that stand at the ready while their backs are being shot, implausible boss battles--all of these design problems make you wince. Although OP4 is good enough to push you past these problems, most players are likely to conclude the game with a mixture of feelings: enthusiasm tempered by disappointment.

70

WindowsEurogamer.net (UK)

But if you want another good quality Half-Life outing in Black Mesa, then you should enjoy this - if not get blown into tiny red lumps by it. If multiplayer action is your thing then Quake 3 and Unreal Tournament hopelessly eclipse Op For - but that goes without saying.

There are some really nice things about Half-Life: Opposing Force, including some nice scripting and the cohesion between the original and this new storyline is as tight as can be. Gearbox has delivered a somewhat less than worthy expansion to last year’s game of the year. The main faults are that it fails to expand upon Half-Life’s greatness and rather seems content to ride on its coattails.

In the end, OPPOSING FORCE is done in by simply not being able to reach the bar set so high by its predecessor. The gaming here is solid and better than most, but if you’re itching for more HALF-LIFE, you’re going to have to wait for HALF-LIFE 2.